In that connection it is known to deepen the bed directly underneath and next to the vessel, in such a way that the floating power of the floating body is restored and/or is retained and the floating body can be moved or can move in a state already afloat. The floating body in this case can be propelled by its own drive, or it can be towed away by, for example, a tug, or by a combination of the two. Furthermore, a stranded floating body can be towed into the open sea in this way. The bed can be deepened only at ebb tide, in such a way that mobile excavating machines can reach the vessel.
The disadvantage of this is that deepening the bottom in this way is not always possible. In particular, in poor weather conditions such as in the case of storms and high water levels, it is impossible to bring ashore or refloat the floating body in this way.
EP-A-214683 discloses a device which is mobile over a water bed, for the purpose of carrying out operations such as burying a line. This known device may be connected to a vessel anchored in the vicinity. That vessel remains in sufficiently deep water, while the device can move into shallower water and into the surf.
This known device is likewise not very suitable for bringing ashore or refloating a stranded vessel. First of all, there are problems with travelling over the water bed, which usually has an unknown contour. Furthermore, the device is fairly voluminous and heavy, which makes manoeuvring difficult and entails the risk of sinking into the water bed, The swell and deteriorating weather conditions can have an adverse effect on the functioning of the device.